Manas Sharma has dedicated the past two years to a single goal. Dreaming of becoming a doctor, he has been deeply engaged in rigorous preparation for the medical college entrance exam. However, this year, the leak of the question paper has thrust the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) in India into controversy. Following allegations of the question paper leak during the exam held on May 3, the federal government initiated a formal investigation and the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Tuesday the cancellation of the examination. A new exam date is expected to be announced next week.
“This news has left me shocked,” said Manas Sharma, who took the exam on May 3. “I had been studying twelve hours daily since October. During this period, I even stopped watching movies and meeting friends. Such intense preparation is necessary to secure admission into a good medical college,” the Delhi resident added. In the exam, which is scored out of 720 marks, he expected to achieve 615 marks. According to an unofficial answer key published by a private coaching center, his answers aligned with that score, which would have been sufficient for admission to some of India’s most prestigious medical colleges, Sharma explained.
The cancellation of the exam has left not only him but thousands of hopeful students across the nation stunned and anxious. The May 3 exam was conducted at more than 5,000 centers nationwide with around 2.28 million candidates participating. Following the cancellation, many students have experienced psychological distress. Clearing the NEET-UG entrance exam is mandatory for admission into most medical colleges in India. Given the limited seats available in government institutions, there is fierce competition among millions of candidates for places at reputed private campuses. Students from various cities across India prepare for these competitive exams at private coaching and tuition centers, sometimes even taking leaves from regular schools to focus on their studies. Twenty-year-old Sumi from Assam shared, “My lifelong plan has been to become a doctor.” She initially found it hard to believe the news about the exam cancellation.
